Intertwined
by Flowerbomb23
Summary: Rebellious like always, Hiro won't listen to a word anyone says to him. Not even his mother. Tadashi on the other hand cares for his father and all. But in this story, where Hiro and Tadashi live with one of their divorced parents, what would happen when they're older and their parents still perish?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Guess who's back! Well, I am! I took a long, long, LONG, break but I am back to present you with this AU. Hope you enjoy.**

"That's it!"

There then was a loud clatter. The sound of a vase being knocked over. Maybe it was a cup or a plate, but the sound was deafening as it echoed through the empty halls that held picture frames of a loving family. A family that seemed to be so perfect and well built, but in reality, it was in mere shambles. It was like a fruit, that looked precious on the outside, ripe and ready to bite into and eat. But in reality, it was just rotten, down to the very core.

Tadashi hid underneath a blanket as he tried to keep the noises of his parents yelling out, along with the whiny wails of his baby brother in the next room over. Nights never seemed to be quiet anymore. They always seemed to be filled with anger and a rotten energy that was disgusting enough to be smelled. Quivering, he then pulled away from the blanket and walked to his bedroom door, cracking it open just a tad bit to hear his father yell out again. As soon he heard his voice boom out, he quickly shut the door and sat on the floor.

What time was it? He couldn't ever remember it being this loud in this home when he was younger. Everything seemed to have gone down hill at some point but he didn't know when. Tadashi was young, he was barely learning the concepts of life, but he was already being plummeted into a world where his parents were constantly fighting.

Hiro's crying wouldn't stop and for some reason, it was only making Tadashi angrier, his head and ear drums splitting open as frustration began to leak into every corner of his mind and body. He wanted to scream loudly and kick at the walls. He wanted to tear everything in his room and make a mess, but he knew that wasn't something he should do.

He was only nine. He was young, inexperienced and only wanted to think about robots or the Power Rangers, or if Yugi would win his next card battle or not. That's what normal kids his age worried about, but instead he was on the verge of crying over the sickening feeling of knowing his parents weren't… In love. They weren't like those couples on TV who kiss and make up after an argument, they weren't they type who simply kissed and that solved it.

They weren't, they weren't, they weren't…

Hiro seemed to be screaming now at the top of his lungs while his mother and father yelled at one another, lost in their own little world. It was only now that Tadashi realized he'd be the one to have to go and calm down his younger brother. Summoning up the courage and wrapping a blanket around himself, he crept out into the hallway with careful steps. Opening the door to his brothers room, he was greeted by the usual blue painted walls, adorned with shelves and books while the floor was filled with small toys and parts.

His brother laid in the crib as he squirmed around like a worm. His bed sheets were tangled around his feet, his hands balled into fists as he cried out for attention from anyone. And that anyone turned out to be Tadashi. With a small sigh, he looked over the crib handles and reached into grab his brother. He was moving way too much for him to get a good grip and him, and soon the blanket he had around himself had fallen to the floor. Hiro wailed even louder, his face was a vibrant red that glowed in the dark.

"H..Hiro.. Shh.." Tadashi whispered as he was finally able to hook an arm around him. He then pulled the little one out of his crib and into his arms. Now cradling him, Tadashi began to coo and coddle him, the younger ones crying seeming to subside as he found comfort in his brother's arms. It was just them two now. There was no one else who could help them. Their own parents were too absorbed in their own little fantasies to realize that their own two sons were suffering from it all. But what were they to do?

Tadashi only know one thing to do… He could sing. Sing to his younger brother, sing to him about how everything was alright and how that in the morning it would be beautiful. He could sing about how happily they would live in the future and this was just some one time thing. That one day there would be no more pain in their family and they would be happy.

By now, the smaller Hamada had fallen asleep again, leaving Tadashi alone. He could hear the quiet sobs of his mother, the sound of his dad falling heavily onto the couch as he exhaled. It was like the atmosphere of the house had turned extremely heavy.

And that's when Tadashi's tears began to flow. He began to cry. But unlike Hiro… No one was there to comfort him. No one was there to tell him everything would be alright…

He was alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Sorry I haven't written and updated in a while! School was ending and I was hard at studying but also, I was busy with summer school! Anyways, here's the new chapter!**

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" _Hiro Hamada!"_

The voice was garbled and filled with static but it was very clear who the feminine voice belonged to. Not that he cared at the moment though. He had much more pressing matters to attend to. For example, one of them being that he had to get the hell out of this place before he was beaten to the pulp and left with a missing tooth… Or worse, a missing limb. But that thought was soon long forgotten in the past since he had already found his getaway, but it wasn't the most stylish one. Hot wiring a baby blue and beaten up scooter (which he had no idea who it belonged to), Hiro quickly jumped on it and zipped his way down the alleys, not looking back at the deranged calling and loud hollering of the thugs he left far behind.

" _Hiro Hamada, if you do not come home this instant!"_ The teenager rolled his eyes at his mother's babbling as he revved the engine of the small blue motor vehicle. "Mom, mom, I'm fiiiine! Just uh… Taking a small dri- I mean walk to clear my head!"

He then gave a hard turn, swerving right past a trash can perfectly but he happened to knock over the one next to it. " _What was that noise?"_

"Uhh, just an alley cat, mom!" He yelled back. By now he could hear the engines of motorcycles from behind him. Oh lord above, please do not let be those thugs he had just beaten victoriously in the last bot fight… Turning for a split second, the messy haired boy was able to clarify his suspicions…

It was them.

"Just when I thought I wouldn't have to see their ugly faces again!" Hiro yelled while pushing the gas on the moped. This thing didn't even go that fast so Hiro quickly had to think up of another getaway plan. With the wind rushing past his ears and his mother hollering on his cellphone, he began to quickly think, letting the world fade away and all other distractions. But soon, his mind was clouded again as he hit an upcoming box in the alley.

So much for a getaway. Hitting it caused Hiro to launch out of his seat while the moped fell to it's side. With a good amount of air time, Hiro came crashing down ever so gracefully and hitting his head on the side of a trash bin. Ouch, that was definitely going to leave a scar or something.

Slowly propping himself up with his hand and using the other to clutch his forehead, he gave out a loud groan, "Ooh, my head…" It felt like the world was sloshing and going down a drain, spinning extremely fast as he tried to bring himself to his feet. That soon didn't turn into a problem as he was yanked by the front of his shirt and forced to face an ugly looking man with tattoos, who probably had two to three double chins. That was a few less than the ones Yama had, Hiro thought.

"Oh, you'll be complaining about more than just your head when we're done with you, boy…" he snarled. He was a big guy… Really big, from both sides and height. Hiro gave out a small yelp in fear as his eyes darted around in search for something to defend himself with. But all he could do was grab at the man's hand as he tried to pry it away.

"L..Let go..!" Hiro demanded while closing his eyes tightly and furrowing his brows. He was kicking his legs as well, trying to see if he could hit the other in any significant spots that would cause the man to release him.

"Shut up and quit moving!" He yelled aggressively while his grip tightened on him. Hiro's eyes then flew open right on time to see a massive and tattooed fist come flying towards him. With a gasp, he shut his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, hoping that someone would come save him right at this terrible moment.

It was like Hiro's prayer had been heard. In a matter of milliseconds, a bright blinding white light turned on as it shined through the alleyway, filling every dark crack and corner with illumination. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open as the next few words hit his ears and echoed through the shabby and graffiti-ed buildings.

" _Put the boy down and get on your knees!"_ The voice had no questioning in it and no room for mercy either. It was forceful and authoritative along with a radio feel to it. Oh no… On no.. Hiro really hoped it wasn't… Please if anyone don't let it be…

But it was. It was the police and even though they had just saved the young teen from receiving the most painful blow in his young existence he really wished they hadn't shown up while looking all heroic with their guns out and shiny badges. There were many reasons why. One of them being that he was _illegally_ bot fighting, betting, and still had the money on him, which could lead to major problems. Not only that… but it was his fourth time being caught, which was pretty impressive if you thought about how many times he had barely gotten away. What made him angry about all of this was the fact that these so called adults who bot fight would get so butt hurt over him winning. Sure they were losing money, but hey, if their bot is terrible then they should lose. Well… He also supposed he was cocky and he loved making their blood boil which could result in why they always wanted to mercilessly kill him.

Now with his feet back on the cracked pavement, Hiro took in a deep breath, wondering if he could escape from the cops. They seemed to have their thoughts more preoccupied with the thugs since Hiro did look like some innocent bystander and didn't fit in at all with this group. With a small step back, he was then quickly yelled at, like they knew everything that was going through his brain.

" _Don't move young man! I know exactly who you are!"_

"Oh for the love of…" Hiro rolled his eyes and threw his head back with a loud sigh, much like a pouting child would do when their parents would tell them it was time for bed. So much for getting away….

The noise of metal shackles being undone was heard as a police officer made his way towards Hiro and another officer towards the burly thugs.

"Come on, officer, we don't have to- ugh!" Before he could finish the officer was behind Hiro and pushing his back as he brought his arms behind his back and shackled them. The young teen groaned again. He couldn't believe this was happening, _again_. His mother was going to have a cow… No… Some even bigger animal when she found out about this.

"You're under arrest. Anything you say-" Hiro had heard this speech so many times now he could recite it by heart. He supposed another trip to the police station wouldn't be too bad.

* * *

Well, the ride wasn't so bad, since Hiro was able to go in a separate car than the one where all his 'friends' were going in. The officers didn't say much to him except the usual questions, like who his parents were? What was he doing? Why did he have and expertly made robot on him and a wad of money? All mundane questions that the young teen had answered several times.

He was waiting in a cell now, sitting on the cold metal slab that was held by two chains, while he swung his feet back and forth. He was to sit there behind the bars of a cell and wait for his mother like a good boy while the officers also filled out paperwork. He remembered perfectly well the last talk he had with an officer. It was all about how he should really shape up his life and how he should use his smarts and go to school.

Yeah right… That seemed completely boring to Hiro. He needed something in his life that made him grin and left him excited and wanting more. Sure, most people would point him to a video game section so he could let out all those pent up emotions but it wasn't enough. He had already gotten a taste of what bot fighting was about and he didn't want to stop. He didn't care what the risks were, he didn't care what anybody said, he just wanted to do this and enjoy it for as long as he could.

An officer then walked down the dreary and drab hallway and stopped in front of Hiro's cell, before he began to promptly unlock it and open the door. "Alright… Your mom is waiting for you but she's just filling out some paper work," he grunted as his watchful eyes gazed at Hiro. The young teen stood up and walked out of the cell, happy to be out of it and back to freedom while the other thugs sat still behind the bars, glaring and snarling at him like a pack of wild animals. He supposed he couldn't head back to that bot fighting place from now on if he wanted to live long enough to see his fifteenth birthday. Being led back outside to the waiting room, he was told to sit down in the squeaky and dim colored chair. It seemed like it had lost its normal color and had faded away to gray just like the rest of the police station had.

With a sigh, Hiro waited for his mother. Waited for the scolding he was about to receive. He waited for the usual things his mother was about to tell him, like "Do you not care about me? Do you want to get yourself killed?" The door to the office in which his mother was filing work soon opened as she stepped out along with a a huge muscular looking man. Hiro suspected he was the main boss around here with his huge badge and hat. Standing up, he walked over to his mother, looking down already in defeat.

His mother was a bit taller than him, but when she was angry she seemed like the biggest and most indomitable woman in the world. Sure, she was scary at times but it wasn't enough to awaken Hiro from his current transgress. The thing was though... His mother wasn't a yeller. No, she was much worse. When she was mad, she would tell you everything you had done wrong in a calm manner but you could tell just how enraged she was.

"Hiro Hamada... Just what did you think you were doing tonight...?" She asked while folding her arms, her lips pursed and eyes narrowed at him. Still looking down at the multicolored carpeted floor, Hiro then began. "Mom, I'm sor-"

"Don't. Don't give me that whole, 'I'm sorry.' If you were truly sorry like the last times you said you were, we wouldn't be down here again at three in the morning..." She gave a heavy sigh, putting her hand against her forehead before she shook her head. "Let's just... Let's go home, okay?"

She turned to look at the officer, offering him a small smile and thanking him, before she passed by Hiro and went towards the front door. Yeah. She was definitely, extremely mad. Sighing heavily himself, he he headed for the door, stomping his feet a bit. For some reason he was a bit angry himself over everything that had happened that night. Could be due to his 'raging hormones,' like everyone tells him.

His mother was already in the car, drumming her fingers against the steering wheel as she waited for him to get in. This was going to be an even longer night now. Why did the cops have to show up? Why couldn't a robot ever show up and knock the snot out of those dumb thugs like in the movies? Hiro sat in the car now, waiting for the talk that was about to go down as his mother started the engine and drove towards their home.

"This is the fourth time, Hiro. You were betting. You won and were almost beaten by those... Those hooligans!" His mother had a habit of refraining from cursing by using other words that seemed a bit ridiculous. "And then what? You hot wired and stole a moped? Hiro... Do you ever think when you do these things...? I know you're a smart boy but... But sometimes you do the most foolish things..."

He knew... He knew this without his mother even telling him this. He knew that he made the dumbest decisions in his life. "Yeah mom... I know..."

"Do you? Do you really know? Because this has happened so often that I feel like you really don't."

Hiro gave out a heavy sigh again, banging his head back against the seat. A minute or two probably passed by now as silence filled the car. The only noise that could be heard was the humming of the cars engine motor and other cars that were passing by. After the moment had passed she then spoke again, her tone soft and gentle, "You know your father is coming to visit soon. And so is your brother."

At that, Hiro groaned while rolling his eyes. Of course she was going to use this against him. "Mom-"

"Don't make that noise. You know we haven't seen them since last year at your graduation," She said as she made a turn on a street.

"Yeah! But they were only there for like what? Ten minutes and then gone again," He grumbled while crossing his arms, a frown across his face.

"Hiro, you know your father has a very busy job and Tadashi is in college. They both have tons of work to attend to so they couldn't stay long that time. But that's why they decided to come visit. You used to be so excited when they'd come visit, remember? You and Tadashi used to be so close, too!"

The young teen stayed silent again, remembering those times. He remembered how Tadashi would come and play with him. How they would build things together and enjoy every second and moment they had with one another. But that was five years ago. After that... All visits had stopped. There were no more games... No more laughter filling the house every once a month. Nothing... Hiro was left alone again with his mother. He knew just as well as she did though that he missed his older brother. As for his father... Sure, they would talk but it wasn't anything special anymore.

"I'm soooo excited to see him again..." his tone was sarcastic and his mother knew that he was really the opposite. Parking in their driveway, she then got out of the car and sighed at him again.

Hiro was just closing the door of the car before his mother said, "Hey. If you promise to stay out of trouble the whole week your dad and brother are here, I'll get you something."

Bribing. A technique that always worked on him for some reason. "Oh? What?" He asked while tilting his head.

"I don't know. You like those power tools, don't you? Maybe a cell phone? I'll get you something like that, if you want. Buuuuut," oh, here came the catch. Like always. "If you mess up, then you have to do something for me. And that something is attending college."

He narrowed his eyes at his mother, staring at her in wonder. She was always trying to convince him to go to college so he could pursue an academic career, make something of himself but Hiro didn't want to. No, he wanted to bot fight and do everything he thought was cool. Smirking, he knew he was going to win this bet easily. Not bot fighting for a week? Please, he could probably do two if he had the patience. "Fine. Deal. But just watch out, mom. I'm going to win this bet."

She gave out a small laugh, unlocking the front for him and letting him into the house. "Alright, alright mister. You're still not off the hook though. But we'll talk about that in the morning. Off to bed, okay?" The messy haired teen nodded his head as he went up the stair case to his room. What a night. He had been worried about his mother ripping his hair out but... But the fact that he'd see the rest of his family soon? It left him upset. It's not like he didn't want to see them but at the same time... He didn't want to see them. He wasn't sure how he'd act around them and he was almost sure that he'd be that stereotypical teen who groans and makes sarcastic comments. Not like he wasn't already. A little conflicting but... He could worry about it later for when his father and brother did show up. It was going to be a long week...

* * *

 **Author's note: Alright, well this chapter was more about how Hiro's life is so with that being said, we can only conclude that the next chapter is going to be about Tadashi's life! That and also Tadashi and his father will be arriving at Hiro's home soooo, yeah.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Sorry for not updating for a long time! But here's a quick chapter, just to let you guys know, I'm not giving up on you! Hehehehe.

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"This isn't too different from San Fransokyo..." It was early in the morning on a Sunday. Traffic was slowly going by while many were trying to get to their jobs and others where simply moving away to visit family members. At that moment, two in particular were doing exactly that.

"It isn't, huh? Now you know why your mom moved out here. She really can't stay away from the city," Tadashi gave a small laugh at his dad's comment as he turned his head to look out the window. There were tons of buildings, skyscrapers and offices lined up and still lit up as people poured into them to begin their day even at this early moment.

A four hour drive was nothing really, but adding in the time that they were stuck in traffic just made it turn into six hours. Sighing, Tadashi began to wonder what this was going to be like. What it was going to be like to see his mother again and his younger brother. Sure, he and his mother got along just fine. It was obvious she loved him tons and doted on him at any moment he was present. She'd hug and kiss him, tell him how handsome he was growing to be and ask what his life was like.

As far as he knew, life was amazingly fine and steady. He had gotten into the college he wanted to get into, was taking all the classes he saw necessary and planning out his thoughts for his final project that he would present soon. Life was going good for him and he was extremely happy about it. On the other hand though, while his mother was excited to see him every time he came to visit, he was growing ever worried that his brother would no longer want nothing to do with him.

He loved his little brother even if they weren't able to see each other often. In his mind, Tadashi still pictured that nine year old boy with a band aid over his nose, holding a banged up Transformers toy and grinning from ear to ear that revealed his tooth gap. That was over five years ago, and even though Tadashi had seen Hiro the past year, it wasn't enough. They really practically had became strangers. It was a funny thing to see Hiro in his graduation gown and cap since it all seemed a little too big for him, but he was proud of his younger brother. Sure, when he was younger he was a bit upset that Hiro was outsmarting him at everything and was the center of every scholars attention. But as the years passed, Tadashi learned to love his brother just for that reason and many others more.

But now... Now he wasn't sure. He didn't know if things would be the same and if Hiro would still receive him with open arms and drag him to his room so he could look at his projects and plans. He was way more afraid that Hiro would actually refuse to acknowledge his existence. He wouldn't blame him though. All contact with him had been lost and maybe even their relationship had been left there with that. He supposed he'd just have to wait to see what would happen.

"Oooooh, they're almost here!" Hiro's mother had been running around her kitchen for the last two early hours nonstop. She was racing from cabinet to cabinet, pulling out jars and boxes along with kitchen utensils as she prepped to make the biggest and most grand breakfast the young teen had ever seen in his life. Forget all buffets that ever existed. His mom had just out done all of them. Pancakes were stacked up on several plates while greasy bacon filled another plate. Hash browns, scrambled eggs, sunny side up eggs, it was like his mom had cooked for a king and his servants.

"Whoa..." was the only thing Hiro was able to mumble as he walked over to the plate filled with bacon and took a strip, taking a bite out of it as he watched his mother collapse in a nearby chair. "Who says you need to go out for breakfast? We have everything we need for a grand slam right here..." she told her son. Hiro gave a small laugh at her enthusiasm. Even though she had prepped this monster meal, he knew she still had energy inside of her to do even more activities. She was like a toddler who was hyped up on caffeine and chocolate. Once she got going, there was really no stopping her at all, which impressed Hiro to this very day.

Now that all the food preparation had been taken out of the way, the both of them were left to relax in a kitchen that smelt like heaven on earth itself. Yet, Hiro felt restless at that moment as he munched on the crispy piece of bacon in his hands. In a matter of minutes, he would meet the two people who walked out of his life at an early age. Tadashi Hamada and his father. It wasn't a hard thing for Hiro to understand when he was little. Actually, he caught on quickly to what 'Divorce', meant and why his brother and father were leaving his life. Yet... It left a hole inside of him.

Looking down, he felt a sudden anger boil inside him, but it was all soon forgotten as he heard the doorbell ring and was replaced with both fear and anxiousness. "Hiro, sweetie, could you get that? I accidentally forgot to make coffee! Out of all the things!" His mother gave out a simple laugh like it was such a normal thing but Hiro was inhaling deep breaths of air. He wasn't ready at that moment, couldn't they go back down the street and give him more time to mentally prepare himself?

Balling his hands into fists, the small teen turned on his heels and took heavy steps towards the front door, but if anyone were to look at him at that moment, they would think he was completely dreading getting closer to the door. With one final gulp of air, he reached out and turned the door knob and shyly looked upwards towards the male who was towering over him. He recognized him... The one wearing the hat that is, and instantly it was like a wave of distant memories washed over him in a matter milliseconds. He remembered every game they had played, every drawing he had shown him and every laugh they had shared. Those days were filled with warmth and smiles along with projects that they had said would lead them towards fame and a better life. But it was all shattered and fragmented the moment the elder Hamada spoke and returned him to the present.

"Hiro?" His voice had always been calm and soft, yet he knew it could be stern at times. He noticed the smile on his face and the way he seemed to be feeling probably the opposite what Hiro was feeling. He was probably feeling happiness while Hiro was feeling anxiety.

"U...Uh, hey.." Hiro replied with a small sheepish smile, though his cheeks were turning a small red out of embarrassment from how he had no idea towards what to do or say. Both of them had an awkward tension between them at that second as they looked to the side and tried to figure out their words and what to exactly say next. It felt like they could spend an eternity, standing their without saying a single word but they would no longer have to worry, since their mother soon arrived.

"Tadashi!" She exclaimed with excitement and didn't even wait to pounce on him with a hug. "Oooh, it's so good to see you again! Let me get a look at you, sweetie!" She then pulled away and placed a hand against her mouth. She looked absolutely proud and filled with joy as she took in the sight of her eldest grown son.

"Oh... You've grown into such a handsome young man... You must be getting tons of girls in your lab at college, huh?" She laughed as well as Tadashi did but they soon both stopped as another person arrived.

"It's only been a few minutes and you're already embarrassing him, Adeline," there he was. The man that Hiro had barely known for most of his life, yet was spoken so highly of by his mother. He never understood why she spoke that way of him, when they had divorced. He pictured her opinion on him would be sour and disgusted but she never said anything foul about him. In fact... Hiro had never really known the whole story behind why his parents divorced... Or why his mother still fawned over him. It was strange to him, but as far as he was concerned, he knew nothing about it.

"Oh, I'm not embarrassing him! It's all true. Tadashi looks extremely handsome," his mother replied to his father. It was weird to call him father when in truth, he had never really seen or thought of him that way. When he was younger, Hiro was clearly more likely to call him 'dad,' but now... Now he wasn't so sure about it. How could he call a man, 'dad', when he never had been much of a fatherly figure to him?

"Come on in, come on in!" His mother suddenly urged on but his father hesitated for a moment as he pointed back at the car.

"Ah, we'd love to but we have some unpacking to do first. I hope that's okay with you," suddenly, Tadashi shook his head and took a step backwards off the porch. He rubbed the back of his neck and pointed towards the car.

"Dad, it's okay. I can take care of things, alright?" Of course. How could Hiro forget that his brother was a huge sap and a sweet boy? He always liked to help others out when he could and was basically the kid that any parent dreamed of having. Sweet, smart, handsome... How much better could that guy get? Hiro sighed and decided he had about enough of this small encounter and turned to go back into the kitchen, but was soon stopped as his mother grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Ah-ah, mister. You haven't even said hello. After you do that you can go..." His mother paused for minute before a playful smirk appeared on her face, "Help your brother unpack things from the car. Now go. Say hi."

Hiro gave a small huff in annoyance. He didn't want to say hi. He didn't even want to see these people who had left him behind over the last few years... But if it was all to make his own mother happy...

"H..Hi... Dad," Hiro said the last word a bit dubious, but he then continued, his voice quiet and timid like it usually was when he first met a person. "It's... It's nice to see you again. Uhm, how was the trip? You guys got stuck in traffic, huh?"

His father had a small frown on his face but it soon turned into a smile as he reached out to ruffle Hiro's already mess of hair. "It's nice to see you too, son. And yes, we did. Another reason why we were late and I had to call your mother."

Mentioning her, his mother soon gave Hiro a small push out the door. "There. Wasn't so bad, huh? Now go help Tadashi out," and with that, his mother turned the other way and headed into the house, as well as his father did. Hiro looked out towards where the car was parked and gave another heavy sigh. This was definitely going to be a long day and he was going to suffer. He could feel it in his chest for some reason that this day was going to play out strangely.

He could already see Tadashi behind the car who was unloading suitcases and boxes. Running a hand through his hair, he took a few small steps as he swung his free arm side to side on his way over to Tadashi.

Tilting his head, he glanced into the trunk to see the suitcases piled up in there, waiting to be taken out. He gave a small glance over to his brother now, only to see he was already staring at him. It shocked him and even caused him to take a step back. The awkward tension had suddenly returned and Hiro was doing all by any means to not start a conversation with him or even make eye contact with him. He didn't see a reason too.

But Tadashi had other plans in mind. Unlike Hiro, he was sociable, and was quick to start a conversation with mostly anyone. He curiously watched his younger brother, who probably weighed less then any of these suitcases, try to take out the biggest one with his noodle like arms. He began to pull at the top while his legs pushed against the floor, but it was no use. Tadashi gave a small laugh, and quickly placed his hands near Hiro's to help him pull out the suitcase. "Careful. Anymore pulling and you'd probably break your back."

Hiro didn't like that. He didn't want help. He didn't need help. But here he was, with Tadashi's hands near his helping him pull out the green case. It soon moved out of its place was now on the floor, much to Hiro's pleasure. He then exhaled and wiped his forehead before looking at his brother who had a satisfied smile on his face. Another thing Hiro didn't like. Instead of saying, 'Thank you,' or anything like that, he decided to look the other way and continue to grab things out of the trunk.

This is exactly what Tadashi had feared. He realized his brother probably wouldn't have wanted to talk to him, but he had hoped it wouldn't be like this. He supposed he was left with no other choice, but to use any means to get at least one good conversation out of his teen brother. He guessed who could blame some of Hiro's moodiness on his hormones and pubescent mood swings, but behind all of it, it could be actual pent up anger that had developed over the years that they hadn't seen one another. It was a normal thing that Tadashi had read up upon, but knew it could lead to dangerous stress. Clearing his throat, the elder Hamada decided to try once more.

"So... Mom tells me you've been bot fighting," okay, maybe this wasn't the best topic to start off with, since Tadashi was completely against the thought of doing such underground illegal activities that could lead to certain injuries and enemies. But, he had heard talk of his brother being the best around when it came to such acts. Maybe he could get him to stop, in the short amount of time they spent together? Well... He'd have to figure it out by himself.

Hiro was a little surprised to hear that Tadashi knew what he was into and did. His mother had actually told him? Why would she do that? Of course... She probably set up Tadashi to talk him out of going out at night to Bot fight, but even he wouldn't be able to stop Hiro no matter what.

"Yeah, I have. Are you goin' to try and stop me, too?" His tone was sharp and had a hint of anger in it, but that didn't frighten or stop Tadashi.

"Ahh, I bet couldn't stop you even if I tied you to a tree, huh? Besides, there must be a reason you always return to it, huh?" It was like his older brother had completely read his mind. Hiro did always return for the joy of winning, not only that but the amount of cash he would loot in practically seconds was unimaginable. He always hid the money from his mother, along with his bot, in fear she would confiscate it and he'd never see it again. It wasn't like he didn't know how to make another bot, but still... He had spent countless hours on perfecting his robot to maneuver out of any other bots way and becoming the ultimate champion.

"Maybe..." Hiro only replied though, as he grabbed a bag and set it down on the pavement. He was certain Tadashi would never understand his need to have adrenaline coursing through his body and having fame and money. "I just like to show people too that a little kid like me, can actually win."

'Of course he does...' Since he was little, Tadashi remembered his younger brother being a show off at times when he wanted to be. He didn't really think about it at first when he was younger, but as more and more people stroked his ego, Hiro had learned to boast. At least he wasn't doing it 24/7 and talking about how amazing he was all the time. He only did it now and then. Well... At least he did when he was younger. Tadashi wasn't so sure if his brother had changed in the aspect or not. There was suddenly silence again before Hiro spoke up.

"What about you? You're in college?" Something Hiro had thought of before in the past but realized he didn't want to go. What was the point? Another four easy years of his life spent behind a desk as he heard a teacher drone on about stuff he would probably forget about or already knew? No thanks. His brain had much capacity to it, but he wasn't about to waste it on such matters like those. Tadashi, on the other hand though, had a wide smile on his face as he was asked about his pride and joy.

"I am in college. San Fransokyo Institute of Technology. Probably one of the best schools in the state, y'know?" He answered Hiro as he completely stopped pulling out suitcases and smiled at his younger brother. The smaller boy looked to the side before he raised a brow.

"Oh really? What exactly do you do at there?" Tadashi smirked as he heard his brothers question. So he had gotten his attention. That was probably a good sign. Shrugging his the elder Hamada fixed his hat before replying, "I would tell you, but so far no one knows about it. It's kinda top secret at the moment."

The only earned him a glare from Hiro that resembled the look of pouting child who had just been told he could have his favorite ice cream. Tadashi chuckled before he picked up a bag and began to walk towards the door, with Hiro in tow as well. "Wait, you're really not goin' to tell me? Oh, come on, you have to now. You started it already, so why not finish it?"

Hiro had to admit, he was completely curious towards his brothers work. He had seen his past projects and they were all acceptable and genius really. Nothing compared to Hiro's work, as many had said but Tadashi's work was completely outstanding. Taking in the fact that Hiro himself was an inventor and loved to hear others creations, he gave his brother a pleading look which was pretty amusing since only minutes ago he looked completely moody. "Sorry... But I can't tell you. Not yet anyways..."

Hiro scoffed and rolled his eyes as he let the bag in his hands fall to the floor. With that, he turned back to head out the door while saying, "Fine. I don't even care about your nerd schools projects..."

Tadashi heard what his little brother had said and gave out a small laugh. He knew in time Hiro would probably warm up to him and he was really over thinking everything. After all, they had been close once... Whose to say they wouldn't be best of brothers again?

* * *

After all the suit cases had been entered into the house, Tadashi made sure to lock up the car and close the door. Hiro was already inside the kitchen, washing his hands before he sat down at the table, directly next to his mother. Really, she was the only one he found trustworthy at that moment. With his hands folded atop the table, they all waited for Tadashi to wash his own hands and sit down so they could begin eating. Once he had finished, their mother smiled and motioned towards the different plates filled with food. "Help yourself. I made it all for a reason!"

No one argued with that offer. Soon, everyone had their plates filled with food as well as their mouths. Hiro now chewed on a piece of pancake as he watched his brother and father. They both had a striking resemblance to one another. The nose... The ears and they way they both smiled. Just that Tadashi probably had bigger ears and more hair. "So, Hiro..."

The youngest Hamada gulped as he heard his name was called by his father, and turned his head to look at him. Swallowing whatever he had in his mouth, he stammered out, "Y..Yeah?"

Hiro's father gave him a soft smile, as if telling him not to worry about what he was about to say. Wow... He really did look a lot like Tadashi. "So, your mother tells me that you haven't decided on attending college yet."

Oh, that look was filled with lies then, because Hiro was now worried. How exactly do you tell your dad that you've been doing dark, shady activities instead of going to college? "Uh... N..No, I haven't actually. I've been, uh..-"

"Hiro told me he's actually waiting for the right college. Until then, he's not sure," Tadashi piped up. Whoa... Did his brother just... Help him? What was that about. His brother then turned to look at him and gave him a small wink, to which Hiro rolled his eyes to. Its as if Hiro was telling him he didn't need his help.

"Is that true, Hiro?" This sentence came from his mother now he looked just as interested as his father did. His eyes suddenly widened before he gave a sheepish smile and glanced over at Tadashi who simply shrugged.

"U..Uh, yeah, mom! I was just uh... Waiting for dad to get here till I told you guys! Tadashi ruined the /surprise though/." Hiro gave his brother a dark look now. He had no plans, by any means to go to college. Tadashi had just made him lie in front of both his parents and now they were probably going to expect him to join one sooner or later.

"Oh! That's great, Hiro! He's such a smart boy! You should see all the things he has set up in the garage and all the neat little trinkets hes made. Maybe Tadashi can even help you with some of them," his mother complimented him with a wide smile across her face. Hiro knew she only wanted what was best for him but, that wasn't what he wanted. He supposed he'd let the lie go out for the time being that his brother and father were here, but as soon as they were gone, he'd fess up to his mother.

"Y..Yeah.. I know," he said before he looked down at his unfinished breakfast. He suddenly felt like he didn't want to eat anymore. Idle small chat began to fill in the silence in the room as his mother and father caught up with a conversation on how there last few years in life had been, while Hiro and Tadashi listened in. Though, Tadashi seemed thoroughly more interested then Hiro did. Once everyone was finished with there breakfast, Tadashi made it his job to pick up all the plates while Hiro made it his own to leave the table and go hide in his room. Yet before anything could happen, his mother once more intervened.

"Ah, Tadashi, honey it's fine. I can handle this. You go ahead with Hiro upstairs and get yourself comfortable," Hiro groaned at his mothers command, and before she could order anything else, he was already bounding up the stairs and waiting for the elder Hamada on the first step. He couldn't believe he had to go through all of this. Once he saw him coming up the stairs though, Hiro quickly walked down the hallway and turned into a room. Tadashi was starting to get the feeling that Hiro didn't want to talk to him again.

It was no evident to Tadashi, that this room did not belong to Hiro, for it was much too empty and clean to be his. He still remembers how Hiro's room was a complete mess when they were younger and he was almost completely sure he never grew out of it. "So is this my room?"

"What do you think, genius?" Hiro's tone was sarcastic and overall, he really was playing the moody teenager at that moment. Tadashi glanced over to him and in a way, he still mentally pictured Hiro being tiny, running over to him with a toy or something like that. But he had grown... and there was no way to go back to that.

"I'll take that as a yes, then," there was still no response from Hiro who just kept his arms crossed and leaned against a wall now. Rubbing the back of his neck, Tadashi moved to sit down on the bed that had a low green blanket and two flower patterned pillows. "Are you mad because I told mom that you're looking for a college?"

Tadashi once again, hit the nail on the head. It was like he could read him like an open book. And it was starting to freak Hiro out in a way. Adverting his gaze from Tadashi, he slowly nodded his head. "You could've let me handle it. Now when you guys leave she's goin' to constantly nag me about it! Unbelievable..."

That's when he heard his brother begin to laugh. "Geez.. Don't worry, kiddo. Mom seems like she understands, right? I'm sure you two will talk it out. Besides... Maybe you should join college, you knucklehead."

"And become a huge nerd like you? I think I'll pass," the both of them suddenly shared a brief smile before they looked away.

Maybe things wouldn't be so bad...

* * *

 **Author's note:** Short chapter! Sorry for such a long wait on the update and such a slow paced chapter! I promise, the next chapter will have more fun in it! That, I can really, really promise! Even I'm excited for the next chapter! Anyways! I hope I can get some feed back from you guys!


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